Eon Love
by Narutochica
Summary: Separate side story to Renegade's about an Eevee who's forced to give up his dreams of becoming a Vaporeon, and the conflicted female torn between her love for him and the mate who abandoned her.
1. Chapter 1

**Eon Love**

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon, but I do own the characters.**

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"Hey there…would you mind if I joined you?"

Startled out of my jumbled thoughts, I jerked my gaze from the water and looked into the eyes of the person who addressed me.

The male eevee hesitated, then put forth a paw. "Um…allow me to introduce myself. My name is Storm."

His fur shone with an unnatural gold sheen, even in the moonlight. He seemed about my age, though his legs were noticeably longer than mine, making him a full head taller than me. What struck me as most odd about him was his tail. The fur was cut so short it looked more like a buizel's. His fur was sleek and wet, as if he'd been swimming.

I stared at his paw, wondering what he expected me to do with it. Did he want me to lick it? Or do the same with my other paw? I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. Was he mocking me? I looked at the water again.

After a few seconds he withdrew his paw and walked away. I exhaled slowly, relived that the tension was finally over. Then, a tiny feeling of loneliness began to creep in. He wasn't the first male in the Clan to speak to me, but unlike the some of the other male eevee, he never tried to get my attention. Being the only female in a rescue organization was tough. Being the only female _eevee _out of the thirteen or so eevees in the Clan was a nightmare. I was considered a _prize_, something all the males must strive for. I did not consider myself special in any way; I was a slightly darker shade of brown than the other eevees and my fighting style was mediocre. It would be many years before I met another female in the Clan, and she grew to become perhaps the greatest fighter and leader I would ever know.

I dipped my paw in my reflection, watching ripples fan out across the lake. It really was beautiful this time of the month, when the moon and stars mirrored on the surface. I listened to the sounds of the other Clan members celebrating their new alliance with another group, and cringed as some of the rowdier members began to fight amongst themselves.

Making juice out of fermented sitrus and oran berries was an old tradition amongst the nomadic shuckle that resided in the area. While the shuckle themselves suffered no ill effects from consuming this juice, other pokemon, especially the mammalian types, wind up drinking copious amounts and waking up with bad headaches. More often than not they attempted to do…_things_ that they would never have had the gall to do when sober. The memories alone made me shiver.

I flattened my ears when the bushes behind me rustled. The males weren't all bad, but they did get carried away at times. Sometimes they got rough. But I could handle it; I wasn't in the Clan for nothing. I sighed and gazed at the water again, once again absorbed in the shimmering surface. I nearly jumped out of my fur when a paw touched my shoulder. It was Storm, looking a bit uncertain as he placed a berry at my paws.

"What's this?" I sniffed it warily. A pecha berry. Not as tangy as a citrus berry, nor as large as the watmel, but my favorite all the same.

"Thought you might like something to snack on. I've noticed you eating these before…" The berry looked appetizing…but I don't like to eat in front of people. It felt weird, and awkward. And how on earth did he see me eating these?

"I saw you eating these off bushes during training runs," He added hastily, as if he read my mind. "If you would like something-" He must have noticed my absence from the dining hall during mealtimes.

"Why are you doing this?" I cut in quietly.

"Isn't that obvious?" He sat down beside me and looked me in the eye. "Apart from being the only female eevee in the Clan, you distance yourself from everyone else, hardly talk to your team when on missions, and slip away the moment one of us even looks at you." He paused, his ears drooping a little as I turned my head away and continued. " And you reject us when all we want to do is get to know you better."

My fur bristled as I rounded on him. "That's easy for you to say. Put yourself in my paws and think about what _I _go through every day. " I know the line was often overused, but it was necessary to get my point across. "Will none of you take a hint? When a female says she doesn't want a mate that doesn't mean you court her without her permission. It means you leave her alone."

He opened his mouth to say something, but I silenced him with a glare and continued.

"Have you ever been followed into the forest? Had advances made on you? Been spied on while bathing in the stream? Constantly have to hide once a male spots you? Being the only female eon here is hell!" Upset, I turned away from him and padded a few steps along the shore and sat down, hugging my tail tightly around me. I looked vulnerable, I knew, but I was too angry to care.

Hot tears leaked out of my eyes and rolled down my cheeks, peppering the ground with tiny wet spots. My fur was glossy enough that neither rain nor tears could soak my skin easily. In truth, Storm's words hurt. Was I really that antisocial? I tried to remember the last time I had a friendly conversation in the clan. Was it five months ago? Six months? I frowned. Was it really that long?

Pebbles clicked as Storm picked his way over to me and stood behind me. I could smell the confusion on him, and felt a bit guilty for shouting at him. The fur on my back rose as he came closer.

"Don't stand behind me like that." I said curtly, without turning my head. He growled under his breath, walked around me, and dropped the pecha berry in front of my paws again.

"You could at least give me a little credit," He spat, his fur spiking up in anger. "I thought you were sad, and lonely, and needed a companion. Your attitude makes everyone around you miserable. Not all of us have mating in mind. So don't flatter yourself if you think I approached you with romantic or carnal intentions, because that certainly is not the case." His voice turned cold with scorn as the last, perhaps most hurtful words rolled off his tongue. "I don't 'love' you…..I _pity _you."

I stared at him, stunned into silence as his words hit me full force. It could have been an hour, a minute, even a few seconds, but his angry expression disappeared, replaced with a look of horror as he realized what he'd just said, saw the teardrops that pooled at my feet. I stood up.

"Wait-" He began, but I cut him off.

"I-I don't need your pity…or anyone else's for that matter. I'm leaving." I spoke in a low voice, so he had to strain to hear. The tears fell faster, more from sadness than frustration. Unable to look at him with blurred eyes, I turned and ran, cutting a path straight through the long grasses that bordered the lake. Behind me, I could hear the sound of his pursuit. His paws skimmed so effortlessly over the ground that even with my head start it would only be a minute or so until he caught up with me.

"Leave me alone! Go away!" I screamed over my shoulder.

I ran blindly, ignoring the stinging lash of the branches that whipped across my face as I plowed through them. My biggest advantage at this point was my size. I was not as tall as him, so he would have a rougher time getting through the dense foliage.

I heard his desperate calls only faintly, the blood pounding so hard in my ears it was difficult to hear naught but my own thoughts.

"I didn't mean any of what I said, it just came out! Don't go…"

I looked at the sky, perhaps hoping for an answer to all my troubles, a way to end the sadness, escape the pain, fill the place in my heart my mate ripped out when he dropped me off at the Clan, promised to return, and never came back. A year and a half of lingering hopelessly on the promise that he'd come back for me.

Wasted. Cresselia was not smiling upon me tonight.

I was so preoccupied with my thoughts, that I never noticed the ravine until it was too late. One second I was pelting at full speed through dense undergrowth, the next, the ground dropped from under my paws. I slammed shoulder first into the side of the ravine and and tumbled head over tail into the bottom, stopping only when I rolled into a bush. For a moment I lay there, winded, struggling not to cry out in pain lest Storm heard me. Bushes crashed overhead as the male searched along the top of the ravine, his voice quavering with worry and guilt.

I did not want to lose the little dignity I had left by allowing him to see me in this condition. I struggled to my paws and limped a few steps before collapsing again, this time smacking my nose painfully against a sharp stone. I lay there, hurt, miserable, and embarrassed at my predicament. I even sniffled once or twice, but now the tears were gone.

The air become colder, and I shivered a little. Though I had a thick coat of fur, I was not accustomed to cold air. I had already shed earlier on in the year, and my winter coat would not come for a week or two. Feeling sleepy, I curled up with my tail over my nose and tried my best to sleep.

**This is a side story to Renegades, about Onyx's early relationship with Storm. I'll write more later, but I hope you like it. This can be treated as a separate story as well; it isn't necessary to read Renegades.**


	2. Morning

**Morning**

**Disclaimer: I do not and will never own Pokemon. Just thinking about that makes me cry.**

_"No...Axel...don't leave me..." I whimpered, my vision blurry as his dark form padded away from me. Not once did he look back; his scarlet eyes were fixed determinedly on the path ahead. _

_"It's what I have to do," He had murmured in my ear before turning away. Seething, I bounded in front of him._

_"Was this all a lie then? Does our being mates mean nothing to you?" He half turned his head, not quite meeting my eyes._

_"You're calling me a liar? I, your mate who protected you, fed you, taught you how to hunt and fight am a liar?" His frown deepened. "I know I screwed up once, but aren't we past that already?" _

_I winced at the hurt tone in his voice. "I didn't mean it like that....I'm just afraid..." I shuffled my paws against the dewy grass. "I'm afraid I'll never see you again." I'm afraid you'll find someone else...._

_He let loose a throaty chuckle laced with bitterness._

_"Save your worrying for yourself, baby. I'll be fine." He looked at the path before him. "This is an opportunity I just can't pass up, and once I finish my work we'll be stable enough to have easy pickings for life."_

_I looked at my paws. "But..."_

_"Don't you want us and our future kits to live in comfort, with no threat of danger or disease?" _

_I shivered, remembering the plague that wiped out half my clan. "Yes."_

_He leaned over and nuzzled my growing belly. I craved more than that simple show of affection, but kept still. "I'll be back for you as soon as possible. I may even be able to send a few messages to you in a month or so. Take care, precious."_

_"Good bye sweetie...I love you...." His ears twitched, so I knew he heard._

_Once he was out of view I sank to the ground and lay there crying. It wasn't until nightfall that I mustered up the will to go back inside the Clan building._

That was when I allowed my eyes to open. It happened so long ago, yet my dreams made it feel as if I were reliving the memory.

I lay there among the ferns for a few minutes, the events of last night flooding back in a rush. The moonlit lake, the run through the woods, that terrible fall into the ravine, and.....

I wrapped my tail closer to me. _Storm...._

The male eevee was nowhere to be seen. I heard him calling my name late into the night, while I sprawled under a low-lying bush and drifted in and out of consciousness. Sniffing the clear air, I flinched as I realized that the fur on the entire left side of my body was wreathed in his scent. Then it all came back to me.

I remembered, right before I passed out for the final time, the sensation of another body close to mine. A warm body, pushing close to my own, protecting me from the cold as I lay shivering. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. What little pride I had left was completely crushed by this revelation.

Never mind the fact that I don't like depending on anyone, it was the mere thought of being protected by the one who got me into this mess in the first place. What right did he have, hurting my feelings then cuddling up to me in my moment of weakness? Angry tears rolled down my face as a feeling of shame swept over me. Was he purposely doing this to humiliate me?

Gingerly, I rose to my paws and stretched, my aching joints cracking in protest at every movement. I inspected my mud-streaked fur and sighed. At the very least, I needed to give myself a thorough grooming before going back. I started off by wiping my paws clean on a patch of moss, then brushing them over my face and behind my ears. I felt a little self-conscious doing this in public, but it was reassuring to know that I was the only one there. I wasn't sure if I was ready to be seen by anyone else yet. After last night, I felt a little shy at the thought of speaking to another pokemon face-to-face.

I shook out the soft ruff of fur around my neck, taking care to comb out the dirt with my claws without snagging my skin by accident. That finished, I shook the dust out of my tail and began licking my fur clean.

I paid close attention to my ruff and tail, wetting my pads and smoothing the fur until it lay soft and flat. Satisfied, I cleaned between each digit of my paws and under my claws. Feeling better, I took a moment to consider my next action.

First, I needed to get out of here. The sides of the ravine were steep and slippery. I was better off walking along the bottom of it until it leveled out enough for me to climb out. Hopefully, I would find bushes laden with edible berries along the way.

I stretched my foreleg, wincing in pain. I wasn't going to get far at this rate.

"You're hurt..." My ears pulled back instinctively as I hopped around on three legs to face Storm.

"What do _you _want?" I snarled as he approached, a bundle of leaves tucked under his chin and against his chest. The peculiar method of carrying things enabled him to speak without dropping his load. I sniffed suspiciously and repeated the question, flinching as a sharp pain shot up my leg.

He gazed at me with infuriatingly calm eyes. Soft, amber eyes, I noticed for the first time. Very different from the cold, furious orbs that glared at me the night before. "Moving around like that will only make your injuries worse." I looked away.

"_You_ should know,"I muttered under my breath so he couldn't hear. "It's your fault I'm like this in the first place." His ears twitched.

"I know," he said quietly. I looked away again, this time in embarrassment. I didn't mean to make it sound as if I was pitying myself, nor did I intend to make him feel bad. Searching for an excuse to change the subject, my eyes alighted on the leaf bundle he was carrying.

"What's that you've got there?" I asked curiously, indicating it with my hurt paw. I managed not to wince.

"Pecha," He said simply, allowing the leaf-wrapped berries to drop in front of me. The skin was firm, yet velvety soft. There were no visible blemishes on them; they were all was a healthy pink with round, lighter pink spots. I felt my initial anger dissipate as I realized that he had put an effort into giving me the most perfect, unflawed berries he could find. I tried not to let my hunger show as I bent down and took a small bite out of one. I closed my eyes and chewed slowly, savoring the sweetness that flooded my mouth. Before I knew it, I had finished off about four of them before I remembered I was being watched. It did not help that I was happily waving my tail in the air like a fool kit, either.

Embarrassed at my rudeness, I stopped eating and looked away. "Um...why don't you have some?" I dared to look at his face, and was shocked to see him hiding a grin behind his paw. His shoulders were shaking, evidence that he was holding back a lot of anger. If there was one thing I hated more than being harassed, it was definitely being laughed at. Furious, I picked up a pebble and threw it at him. I was aiming for his forehead, but I somehow misjudged the distance and pelted it into the bushes behind him. I swore I heard something squeal loudly, then a thump.

My eye twitched. Storm's shoulders shook even harder. Without a word I whirled around and walked away, limping as quickly as possible on three legs. I thought I was going pretty fast, until Storm drew alongside me at his regular walking pace. And looked at me with an amused expression on his face. Defeated, I settled for glaring at him. I was not losing the tiny shred of dignity I had left.

"If you keep looking at people like that, your face will end up stuck like that. Permanently."

"Leave me alone," I muttered, laying down on my side and panting. My chest now hurt every time I breathed in. I lay my head on my paws and closed my eyes. This nightmare was getting worse and worse.

I heard Storm's pawsteps coming closer, then froze as he licked my ear gently. I held my breath, but opted not to jump and react aggressively. I was a little curious, and wanted to see where this went. Taking my silence for an indicator to continue, he bent down and licked between my ears with long, soft strokes. I purred quietly; I hadn't been touched like that in a long time, and I ached for more. I didn't realize it then, but my tail was rubbing against his side; an affectionate gesture, but one that could easily be mistaken for intimacy.

He licked my shoulder, his strokes reaching up the side of my neck to my jawline. I inhaled sharply; he suddenly jerked his head up, and, as if realizing that what we were doing was wrong, backed away several feet. "I...we left the food behind," he said in a rushed voice, and hurried back the way we came. I stared after him in complete shock for a few moments, then curled up with my tail over my face.

I did not want him to see my tears.


	3. Confrontation

**Confrontation**

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon, but the characters are mine**.

"Take it easy, hun...it will only hurt more if you try to rush things," I murmured to the female eevee as she leaned heavily against me.

"I no longer need your help," she replied stiffly, limping ahead of me. "But..thank you..." She said, in so soft a tone I had to strain my ears to hear.

Sighing under my breath, I followed closely behind. Being predominantly matriarchal, my tribe emphasized a policy of respect towards females. This was due to the fact that there were very few females in the wild; only ten percent, or so I've heard. Of course, it is of no surprise that they are much sought after.

I kept my options open, of course, but finding a mate was low on my list of priorities. My goal was to first become an accomplished fighter then go back to my tribe and prove my worth as a warrior. Then, in my coming of age ceremony I would accept an elemental stone of my choice. I had decided long ago that I wanted to become a vaporeon. A mate would only impede my progress.

To this day, I still have no clear idea as to why I first approached Onyx. Maybe it was pity, or, some might say, an inner, instinctual drive to find a partner. Whether or not this is the case, I don't know. She was the only female, after all. Seeing even a glimpse of femininity in a small society populated by males was a pure, honest relief, no matter the age of the female in discussion. If she was a kit, her presence would remind us of a little sister or a kithood friend. An older female was a mother figure, there to provide love and support and guidance. And if she was in her prime...she was worth being close to, whether as a friend or something more. Still, I can't say that I regret speaking to her that first night, even if it did end disastrously. For so long I gave her space and watched her, watched the repeated attempts of the other males to woo her fail, which struck me as odd. Most females loved the attention; this one scorned it. Such an unusual characteristic piqued my interest.

And, admittedly, there were also her physical attributes. She was a slightly darker shade of brown than most eevees, a soft, lustrous auburn. Her physical build was normal for most females, but what caught my attention was her eyes; Deep, black eyes that shone with intelligence, yet revealed nothing of the lady who possessed them. I could just by looking into them that there was a story behind them. Now that I had at least drawn her attention, I wanted to establish an emotional connection. She was a living being, with her own thoughts and interests and personality, and I was not going to even attempt to take that away from her by acting like an ideal mate and taking unfair advantage of her in the end. At most, what I wanted from her now was honest friendship.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts I almost stumbled over her when she stopped abruptly at the top of a hill overlooking the Clan Headquarters.

"Do you want me to carry you?" I asked, racing back towards her. She shook her head.

"No...it's just..." She hesitated, her obsidian eyes sad and fearful, as if she were dreading something. But what?

I followed her gaze to the Clan building. She feared returning to the clan? I was completely baffled, that is until I realized her attention was drawn not to the building, but to the small group of male eevees that clustered in a field that lay between us and the HQ.

Mock battles between young male eevees was a common occurrence within eevee packs, tribes, and clans. Within Packs, short, physical fights were a quick way to establish dominance and settle disputes. Eevees from Tribes, like me, never fought one another except during battle training or under certain conditions. Clan eevees merely did this for sport. In the wild, fights like these were usually held in the presence of females, especially during the courting season. I knew things could get a little out of hand if they saw me with her. Of course, I could certainly defend the both of us but at what cost? No, I wasn't willing to take that chance. I turned away and started walking down another path.

"Where are you going?" I turned my head to look at her, still on the rise. She hadn't followed.

"Would you not rather take the long way around and enter in through the back?" She looked so small and fragile, as if one strong blow would break her body. Then I remembered. Only real fighters were accepted into the Clan. Her looks were deceiving. She opened her mouth and closed it, as if afraid to answer.

"It'll take about an hour if you let me carry you," I offered just as she shook her head in refusal. The look of determination on her face made my heart beat perhaps a little faster. Perhaps.

"No...that will take too long," she shook her head. "I want to cut through here. It'll be only twenty minutes if I go fast enough." I growled inwardly. Great Suicune! I swore silently. Did she really have a death wish for me?

"Storm?"

"Let's just go," I growled, stalking ahead of her. I immediately regretted my attitude when she flinched, but I was too annoyed to apologize.

I led the way straight down the field, passing within several yards of the fighting eevees in doing so. I was secretly panicking in my mind though. It wouldn't take long for them to put two and two together and come to the wrong conclusion, given our slightly disheveled appearence, and the fact that she was visibly tired and trailing so close to me her eartip brushed my flank. Several of my peers, led by an older male named Barb, came over to greet me. They smelled strongly of musk, a masculine scent that made my fur bristle.

"We were out looking for you last night, Storm. You missed out on-" Barb stopped when he noticed Onyx on my other side. "Oh. Who's your friend? His fur color is unusual. Is he foreign?" Onyx twitched.

I nearly sighed in relief. He wasn't close enough to recognize her or take in enough scent to identify her as female. "Well, my companion-"

"Onyx?" One of them said disbelievingly as she stood up straighter and met his gaze.

"What do you want now?" She asked curtly, the lack of masculinity in her voice causing the other eevees to gasp when they realized exactly who she was.

The male stepped closer, taking on a more dominant stance as he stared her down. "You never came back last night," He said accusingly. "A female like you shouldn't be out so late by herself. Unless..." He eyed me suspiciously, and a few of his companions followed suit. I glared back, raising my head and tail higher. I was not going to be bullied into subordination for something so mundane as jealousy. I'd sooner bare my throat to a seviper's fangs.

"It's none of your business what I do when off duty, Rend. Now let us pass," Onyx half-snarled. A few of his companions came over to stand on either side of him, effectively blocking her from leaving.

"It's our business if I say it is!" He snapped back.

Onyx' raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

I smirked and sat down, not even bothering to hide my satisfaction. It was nice seeing her anger directed at someone else for a change.

"Wh-what I meant was," Rend fumbled for the right words. His voice lowered to a near whisper. "Why _him_?" The other eevees, save for Barb, watched her intently.

That caught her off guard. "What?"

"Don't play dumb. If you think any of us are going to sit by and let this go on right under our noses-"

"Let WHAT go on?" She lashed her tail angrily. "I told you, it's none of your business whom I choose to spend my time with. "

"You never gave me, or anyone else here a chance. You wouldn't give us the time of day, yet you wind up rubbing tails with the arrogant twit who thinks he's too good to have a mate." His last sentence was directed at me, still smirking at him.

"It is only a matter of time before this comes to blows. I think you should intervene before something serious happens," Barb murmured in my ear. Due to the fact that his mate had died a few years ago, he was unwilling to look for a new one. Therefore, he was above the rivalries held by younger eevees.

"Just a second. I want to see where this is going," I murmured back. Meanwhile, Onyx was getting more agitated.

"Who said I was rubbing tails with anyone?!" She hissed, baring her teeth.

"It looks that way," He retorted, brushing a stray leaf off her shoulder. "You both look as if you just rolled out of bed."

"I can't believe this,"she muttered under her breath. In truth, she _had _groomed herself this morning. I watched her myself. However, given the amount of undergrowth we had to go through not to mention the time she tripped in a patch of dirt, she really couldn't be blamed for looking a little scruffy."I got in trouble and he happened to be there so he helped me."

"You had an itch you couldn't reach and he was _lucky _enough to be there." He glared at me while ignoring her outraged cry. "So you took advantage of a poor female in heat I see."

"Are you stupid?" I deadpanned. If he used his nose, he would find that her scent gave no indication of a desire to mate. Then again, he was most likely in denial that Onyx would choose a different mate after all his attempts at courtship. Blaming it all on heat masked his failure."Are you sure she just wasn't interested in you?" I said, smirking when he flinched.

"Sh-shut up. You don't know anything."

"And you can't take a hint when she says 'no'."

"Can we just go?"Onyx broke in, shooting the both of us an angry glare. "I do not desire to sit about arguing for the rest of the day." Rend pressed closer to her, ignoring her warning growl.

"Onyx, please say that you feel something for me. I'll forgive you for-"

"Rend, not now,"she growled, pinning her ears back.

"Just say-"

"I'm not looking for a mate."She started forward. He nudged her away from me, his friends circling her so she couldn't escape. The eevees who were staying out of the fight looked at each other and frowned. A few of them seemed to be willing themselves to speak up in her defense. Barb put a paw on Rend's shoulder.

"Son," he began.

"Well, then why are you still with-"

"Get out of my WAY!"Onyx snarled, cuffing his ear with the back of her paw. Rend stumbled backward, a look of pure shock on his face, before it was replaced by one of loathing. He raised his paw, claws glinting ominously. The world turned red.

He'd barely struck her across the face before I had him pinned to the ground, my teeth embedded in his throat. I kicked a leg out as one eevee-his friend- tried to get me from behind, my paw catching him under the jaw and sending him backward into a bush. Two more eevees crouched in front of me, as if debating whether or not to attack. I tightened my hold on my quarry, and they stepped back a few paces. Rend pawed feebly at my fur, trying to get me to dislodge. I held fast, my eyes boring into his. The look of shock and fear on his face only made me want to hurt him more. Humiliate him. I raised my head, my neck muscles easily handling the weight of my burden as I faced the remaining eevees.

"Who else wants to challenge me?" I growled, my speech a little hampered by the scruff in my mouth. "There's nothing stopping me from ripping the fur off this scumbag. Unless one you shameless mutts has the balls to try." I looked at his two remaining friends. "He's your companion, is he not?" I said coldly. "Won't you defend him?" One of them shook his head and backed away, but the other one sprang forward with a low growl.

Idiot.

I whipped my head around, muscles straining, and swung Rend at the other eevee, knocking him out from midair. They'd barely landed in a heap at my paws before I heard a scuffling noise behind me. I turned around just in time to see Onyx _punch _another eevee in the face before pinning him on his stomach. It was the same eevee who had chosen not to challenge me. He must have circled around me while I was occupied with his friend. I would have spent more time admonishing myself for falling for such a common tactic if not for the fact that Onyx's condition looked worse than before. All because of me. She was panting heavily, and her legs shook. Then she looked up and smiled tiredly at me.

"Are you okay?"Looking at me with big eyes. Without answering I padded over to her and, ignoring her protests, grabbed her chin and tilted her face up and to the side. The slash marks were parallel, and the sight of blood welling on her cheek made my fur bristle. Her cheek was already swelling. The bruises would come later. Despite all that she looked...

I dropped my paw and gritted my teeth. That was not how you treated a female. She may have struck first, but her blow wasn't meant to hurt. And he provoked her in the first place. He did not have the right to draw blood.

I swung around and walked stiff-legged towards Rend, who was by now struggling to get back on his paws. I lashed out a paw and knocked his legs out from under him and leaned close to his terrified face. "I should kill you...."I began, circling him.

"Wait." Onyx slipped between me and her former suitor. Her voice was much calmer than before, her eyes untainted by anger as she gazed into my own. "That's enough."

I met her gaze evenly and nodded as I came to my senses and stepped away from the fallen eevee. I was, on most days, a poised battler who made great efforts not to lose composure, even in the face of mockery or insult. But the last few minutes was different. It was like the gates to my inner anger were opened. It was an instinct to defend and protect Onyx, even to the point of killing all who threatened her. If not for the fact that she got hurt, I would have felt guilty for doing what I did to the other eevees. However, I knew my actions were justified. I did not regret a thing. Seeing the gratitude on her face only strengthened my resolve. Onyx closed her eyes as I bent down and licked her cheek. "Let's go home, love."She flinched. I was too weary to explain that my use of the word "love" was meant to be a term of comfort rather than endearment. She nodded slowly, and I was sure she understood.

The other eevees parted for us and, with heads held high, we walked onward towards the Clan Headquarters. Though we still weren't close enough to think of each other as friends, a mutual respect grew between us. And that was fine by me.


	4. Home

**Home**

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon

* * *

"You need to get that looked at," Storm said as we approached the clan building. The scratch on my face stung, but the bleeding had stopped, at least for now.

"I'll be fine...I've had worse,"I replied, wincing at a not-so-pleasant memory. I took a deep breath to calm myself, since the fur along my spine had begun to rise. "I'll deal with it when I get to my quarters. Thank you Storm."

I turned and walked away. It took a few seconds for me to realize that he was still following me.

"Yes?" I know I might have sounded curt, but I wanted to make it clear that just because we teamed up to defeat a common enemy did not mean he had "benefits" with me. I was not looking for a potential mate at the moment.

"I feel uncomfortable leaving you by yourself. And I want to make sure you treat that gash." He looked too calm for someone who had just fought a dominance battle. I rolled my eyes.

"It's a scratch. Plus, I can treat my own wounds. I'm not a helpless kit you know." I met his gaze evenly.

"I know you are perfectly capable of defending yourself-don't think I didn't see you flatten that eevee's muzzle-however, I'm following you purely for my own satisfaction. Can we go on?" He said, ignoring the fact that I was staring open mouthed at him. For a few seconds I couldn't even form a sentence, that was the effect my own interpretation of his words had on me.

"Your _satisfaction_? What in the name of Ho-oh are you thinking?" I burst out after several failed attempts.

"Yes. I have every right to be concerned for your health, considering the fact that it was _you_ who wanted to take that shortcut in the first place!" He didn't say it, but the look in his eyes challenged me to forget that it was because of me that he had to fight one of his peers. By now a few pokemon had stopped to watch us argue.

"Why not ditch him and hang out with a real male?" A vulpix called out, leering at Storm. I whirled on him.

"Mind your own business!" I snapped irritably in his face. Then turned to face the small group of onlookers. "And don't the rest of you have something better to do?"

As they left, grumbling, I glanced back at Storm. For the first time, I noticed he was looking really tired. Drained, almost. Abandoning the argument, I headbutted his shoulder in a friendly gesture and allowed him to follow me upstairs. We hardly spoke at all, only the occasional greeting to fellow Clan members we passed.

We soon reached my floor, and we turned into a long hallway lined with pinkish wallpaper and a feather-soft carpet. It was unlike most of the other floors, which had hard gray walls and a really thin carpeting. My room was right at the end. I led Storm along past the closed doorways of the other apartments, ignoring the faint mewling that sounded from behind several doors.

"You live in the nursery?"Storm asked with wide eyes. "So you have an egg?"

My ear twitched. "No." I pushed through the door flap, glad that he left it at that. As I watched him enter with ears pricked in curiosity, I couldn't help but think that I was forgetting something.

The nursery was where the mates of Clan members raised their kits, and took in orphaned kits found on missions or in the forest. There was always at least one or two chansey on this floor, to help take care of eggs and newly hatched kits. There were few males with mates in the clan, and no one dared to bother or harass them. Being the only unattached female out of the seven that live in the building meant that I often got more attention than I liked.

"It's nicely kept," Storm commented, looking around. His tail flicked uncertainly, as if he weren't quite at ease.

"Thanks. Oh, make yourself at home,"I absentmindedly gestured toward the cushions piled in the center of the main room. "Don't worry about getting dirt on them, I usually wash them out in the stream once a week."

He groomed his fur anyway, and settled on a spongy cushion. "This is comfortable,"he said, pressing his paw into the soft, yet firm material and watching the sharp indentation slowly fill up.

I smeared some berry juice on my face(I always kept a small supply around) and rubbed it well into the scratch until it tingled in a not unpleasant way. Behind me, I heard Storm stand up and wander curiously around the room until he reached the window, where I kept some framed portraits reflecting my happier days.

"Why did Leader put you in the nursery?" He asked after a few minutes.

"He assumed I would be more comfortable with the new mothers and kits," I replied promptly. It wasn't exactly a lie; even though most of the other mated females hated me for being younger and sought-after, it was a welcome relief to be around pokemon that weren't tripping over their tails trying to impress me.

"Oh. Then who's this?" I froze, then turned to see him looking curiously at one of the framed photos on the windowsill. I knew at once which one he was looking at. "I didn't know you had a kit-what's his name?"

"It's none of your business," I retorted, stalking over and flipping the picture face down. Almost at once I regretted my harshness. "That was dumb of me. Sorry," I muttered, feeling even worse when I realized he had backed several feet away from me. I was not proud of my sudden mood changes, especially when other pokemon were involved.

"It's...all right." He replied, eying me warily. "Maybe it's best that I leave-"

"No!"I practically shouted, then winced and said in a much lower tone "No, it's all right...um...want something to eat?" Anything to change the subject, I thought.

"I'm fine,"he shook his head. I winced instinctively as his eyes settled curiously on another portrait, this time one of me and my former mate. "Your pictures are...lovely,"he continued in a more careful tone. "You seem to be more modern than most pokemon I've spent company with. Most would never think of having electricity running through their dens." I nodded. Modern technology was a subject of conflict between wild and captive pokemon. Many wild pokemon believed depending on electricity and gas would only serve to weaken our innate abilities and make us become dependent on human resources. I understood their opinion, but preferred to use whatever things humans made to my advantage. I could easily switch to a more traditional lifestyle, but for now I would stick with what was provided me, and use it well. Operating a camera proved a small challenge, which is why Leader wound up taking most of the pictures-he possessed forms that allowed him to hold one properly.

"Were you ever kept by a human?" He finally asked.

I hesitated before answering. Did I really want him to know that as well? Regardless of whether or not I denied it, my pause would have made it clear what the answer was.

"Yes. She died after a few years, though. She was pretty wealthy, so many human objects were around the house for me to learn how to use."

"Oh, really?"

"Why, yes. I found the use of a toilet rather perplexing though."

His ears twitched in amusement. "Sounds like you had a good life before coming here."

I nodded, hoping he wouldn't recognize the background of most of the photos as the Clan Headquarters. There was a part of my life that I wasn't ready to share with anyone yet; Leader was my only confidant, but his position made it difficult for him to handle individual matters without dismissing more important priorities. I didn't want to over burden him by letting him know how I really felt staying here.

I cursed softly under my breath. _Leader! _I suddenly remembered that I was due for a meeting with leader and my team this afternoon. The sun was already high in the sky when we came in; I could still make it on time if I hurried.

"Shit!" I walked quickly towards the exit. Storm instantly leapt to his paws.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm supposed to be in a meeting with the team right now...wait here, I'll be back soon!" I tossed the last words over my shoulder as I darted out the door flap.

Knowing I possibly had a mission tonight, my legs no longer ached as I trotted hurriedly down to the basement levels. I owed the Leader so much, that even the thought of doing a mission to help his cause erased my pains.

When my life was turned upside down by a sudden twist in fate, I was left heartbroken, alone, and depressed. Surprisingly enough, Leader was there to help pick up the pieces. He made use of the brutal training Axel put me through, and kept me occupied doing various rescue missions around Eterna. How I even ended up living a nomadic lifestyle with Axel is in itself a long story-if I had only known what would happen in the future, I would never have allowed him to go on without me.

I nodded politely to the poliwrath sentry guarding the entrance to the meeting chamber and padded in, well aware that I was the last one to arrive. Starks, the Staravia who scouted for us, jumped on his perch as I walked in.

"About time," The team captain, a big luxio named Lars snarled, towering over me. "I can't rely on a late teammate, especially during times like these!" He continued without giving me a chance to explain. He turned to the Leader and shook his head. "You see what I mean?"

Leader flicked an ear dismissively and turned to me instead. "Well?" His current form-a male stantler with branching antlers-had solemn gray eyes that demanded respect from whomever they fell upon. He was seated on a large purple cushion, long, delicate legs tucked under him.

"I got into a fight," I said outright, making it clear that there was more to the story that I didn't feel like explaining. "Can you update me on the new assignment?" I ignored the luxio's hiss of annoyance. I was not going to let him worsen an already crappy day, and concentrating on the new mission eased the tension, at least for me.

"Actually, I have another assignment planned just for you...provided the mission I'm sending your companions on is successful." The stantler stood up and walked slowly around the chamber, maintaining a slow, stately gait as he circled the room. "We have gotten word of increased violence between two canine packs in Eterna forest. The female alpha of a pack of nomadic growlithe was assassinated last night in her den while her mate and packmates were scouting out new hunting grounds. She had recently laid two eggs, which are set to hatch within a few days. Unfortunately, whoever murdered the alpha female also stole her eggs. I need your cooperation." His antlers swung in an arc as he looked at each member of the team, his gaze finally resting on me. "These growlithe are being forced out of their forest homes, and winter is about to come in fast. It will be difficult for them to travel to new hunting grounds with two newborns in the dead of winter. That is, if you are lucky enough to recapture their eggs. The sooner the better."

"So what are we up against?" Lars growled. "You haven't told us which mutts are chasing them out."

"It's the Houndours," Leader said quietly. "The Redpaw houndours number more than the growlithes, see, and wish to expand their territory for the time being. We believe they have taken the eggs to use as a sort of bargaining chip to hold against their adversaries. Now, normally we do not take sides during conflicts between neighboring packs, but if young lives are threatened, we are obliged to step in."

"Yes sir," The three of us agreed quietly.

Leader nodded in approval and pulled out a rolled parchment from a hidden niche in the floorboards. "This is a map of the region of the forest the opposing packs live in." He unfurled the the map on the and placed a cloven hoof on the indicated area. "Over here, a river splits the territories in two, with the growlithes on the right and the houndours residing on the left. The houndour's camp..." He slid a hoof to a point right in the center of the houndour's side. "Is in the middle, where there are little or no trees. But just because they are in the center of their territory does not mean they'll be easy to slip pass, or even find for that matter." He pulled another map out from under the floorboards.

"I took the liberty of scouting out the Redpaw's territory by ground last night, and drew up a rough map of their camp's location, as well as any possible places you could shelter during the recon." He handed the map to Lars, who looked it over for a few minutes.

"I might need team ten for this...their Sableye might come in handy." The burly luxio was formulating a plan.

"Teams Ten and Eight are going with you...we need pokemon to fight and keep the houndours occupied while three of you rush in to take back the eggs."

"When are we leaving?"I asked.

"The Redpaws have given the growlithes one week to turn over their territory before they smash the eggs and take it back by force." Leader paused. "By the way...they have a houndoom."

"A houndoom!" Starks exclaimed. "Since when?"

"I encountered one last night as I was scouting their hunting grounds. Judging from the bite marks all over it's body, it seems to have been driven from the main pack."

"But why? Having just one houndoom there is going to seriously tip the odds in their favor...surely they aren't that stupid?" Starks shook his head in disbelief.

"Not necessarily," Lars answered, looking up from the maps. "The same happens in pride-oriented societies."

"When around houndours, most houndoom adopt an alpha mentality. The alpha of the Houndour pack wanted to ensure his reign as leader, and the only way he could do that with no possibility of being overthrown was to drive out or kill any members who evolved. Typically, the only houndoom welcome in a pack led by houndour is the alpha, his mate, or their offspring if they evolve before their parents. Any houndoom not from the immediate family is usually exiled. It is why subordinate houndour fear evolving."

"So they have to live out the remainder of their lives alone?" My tail drooped at the thought. Leader caught my expression and shook his head.

"Don't worry...houn_doom_ form their own packs, where both houndour and houndoom can live peacefully. In houndoom-formed packs, the alpha male or female is traditionally a houndoom, and all lower ranked members can stay if they evolve. So even packs of the same evolution family are run differently in some cases." The Stantler turned his head towards the luxio. "Have you any thoughts on this, Lars?"

Lars was already formulating a plan based on this new piece of information.

"The houndoom may linger in Redpaw territory for a little longer before moving on...I would like at least one water type with the recon team just in case."

"Ill send along the prinlup in squad three."Leader promised.

"They'll be expecting an attack from the near the river,"Lars continued muttering to himself, still hunched over the map. His tail swished calmly from side to side as he traced an imaginary path with a curved claw. "Perhaps, if we cross over to the Redpaw side of the river, then make our way up to their territory, circle around behind the camp and then launch an ambush...I see now..."

My team captain was harsh, and overly proud, but he was a remarkable tactician and was a valuable asset to any team. As a shinx, he had been raised in a traditional luxray pride in which there was one dominant male and several females. This system resulted in competition among the pride's male cubs, for though they all shared the same father, their mothers encouraged them to display strength and courage in front of him. This resulted in his strict yet calm demeanor, and his tendency to not pass up an opportunity to exploit his enemy's weakness. His biggest pride were his sons, three identical shinx that were raised mainly by his pride's females. Unfortunately, he seemed to harbor an intense dislike of canines, especially those of the eevee line. Even if his dislike for me was unjustified, I refused to let it bother me to the point of asking Leader to appoint me to a different squad. He was busy enough as it was.

The Staravia, Starks, was the self-appointed scout, and served as an aerial ambush during raids of enemy hideouts. He never was directly hostile towards me, but that didn't mean there wasn't an awkwardness between us. He only spoke to me when necessary, and that was fine by me.

My job...well, I pretty much did whatever Lars told me to. I hated him, but I had no other choice. It wasn't worth messing up a mission due to personal conflicts. I never liked our squad's dynamics, but as long as it led to success in a mission I would abide by it.

"Leader?" I asked quietly once Lars and Starks left the room to alert the other two teams. The stantler was busy straightening up the room after the meeting.

"Hang on." The stantler shimmered and transformed, taking on the form of a male Raichu."What do you think of it? I've only just acquired this form,"he said, not without a hint of pride.

"It looks pretty strong," I said, noting the strength in his limbs. The ditto-turned-raichu nodded in satisfaction. Even for a ditto, Leader was special. He collected the forms of many pokemon, and was able to shift directly to a new form without switching back to a ditto in between.

"Good." He sat down and curled his cable-like tail over his paws. "You want to know about your part in this mission, right?" I nodded.

"Well, I was just wondering...why are you leaving me out of the raid?" I wondered, just for a split moment, if Leader had finally decided my usefulness didn't amount to much.

"Oh, that," He replied dismissively. "Did I not say you were needed if the mission proved successful?"

"Yes, but-"

"But nothing," he interrupted curtly. "Don't think I haven't been watching you. So distracted, so...will you look at me when I'm speaking?"I jumped at the sharp tone in his voice. I'd been so immersed in my thoughts, that my gaze had been drawn to the floor rather than the Raichu's face.

"I'm sorry, Sir." I shifted uncomfortably and forced myself to look into his amber eyes.

"Which leads me to believe,"he continued, disregarding my apology, "That you're unfit to be sent out on any missions as of now." I instantly shot to my paws, my heart beating wildly.

"But I can't just sit here!" I protested, then shrank back at the severe glare he shot me. "Sorry..." I muttered again, feeling my ear tips grow hot.

"I have no other option than to give you the next few days until your team's mission off. Rest, train...do whatever it takes, but use that time to get it together!" He punctuated each word with a lash of his whip-like tail.

"Yes, Sir! I will not fail you."

"Good, good." Knowing I would make good on my words, he lay down composedly and slowly started to lick his paw, eyes lidded in heavy thought.

Wondering if he was finished, I got up to leave when he spoke again.

"I've placed an order for evolutionary stones from the Celadon department store," he said quietly, wiping a paw over the ornately curled tips of his ears. I froze, wondering where he was going with this sudden statement. "It shall be arriving within a month or so."

"Who are they for?" I managed after a few seconds.

"Whoever needs them," he said simply. "But mainly for the eevee population residing within the clan. I figured they would appreciate a few evolution options other than the obvious one."

"You...want me to evolve? Is that what you're saying? Would staying an eevee only hold me back?" My heart fell as I realized that Leader probably came to the conclusion that my small size and lack of an elemental attribute hindered my team's success. Both Starks and Lars were in their second stages, having evolved once already. And even if I did choose to evolve, they still had the ability to evolve again, growing bigger, stronger than ever before. I could neither match nor compete with that.

"I would never dare harbor such thoughts,"Leader replied sharply, all grooming forgotten. "I have seen the contempt with which your squad leader views your kind, and I have also seen how you take his treatment as if you have no other choice. If you feel you can't keep up with your squad, no matter what you do, then the stones are there as a last resort. I know some of the other eevees here can't wait to acquire their Kanto evolutions."

"I've only seen seen four of my evolutions," I confessed.

Leader looked interested. "Really now?"

I nodded. Since the HQ was located in Eterna forest, the easiest way for eevees to evolve here was to find a certain moss covered rock, touch it for more than ten heart beats, then train until they evolved into leafeon. Becoming a glaceon was a harder feat; one had to journey to a snowy forest near Snowpoint city and find a similar but iridescent rock of ice to evolve with. Fire, Water, and Thunder Stones were needed to become flareon, vaporeon, and jolteon, but most were buried deep underground and were more difficult to acquire without the use of rock pokemon or human equipment. And, perhaps the most difficult evolutions for a Clan eevee to acquire were espeon and umbreon. An eevee needed to have an exceptional, emotionally gratifying encounter with another being, during dawn or dusk, to become either of those pokemon. This happened around eevees who had close relationships with their parents or siblings, but mainly to those that were mated or had a mutual love with another. None of the male eevees here had family with them, and since I, the only female refused to be romantically involved with any of them, their chances of becoming a dark or psychic type were pretty slim.

Was staying an eevee worth it? I pondered the thought as I stared at the cracks in the floor. I was able to use mainly Normal-type moves, with the exception of Shadow Ball. And, I remembered, Normal types were immune to Ghost-type attacks. Was I willing to lose the one, useful advantage I had over my team mates? And how would I know what to become if I'd never before seen the Kanto eons with my own eyes? My mind was so occupied with these thoughts, that I hadn't noticed Leader's tail snaking towards me until it knocked my paws right out from under me with a single blow.

Leader shook his head as I painfully got to my paws. "Daydreaming again I see," he said, chuckling and shifting to his commonly used Espeon form. "I'll tell you what, get some sleep and tomorrow I'll hold a class for the Clan's eevees."

My ears perked. "A _class_?" Leader rarely held classes these days.

"Yes," the Espeon said. "They need to be educated on the benefits of each of their forms before the shipments of evolutionary stones arrive."

My tail wagged in excitement. Hopefully, Leader would transform into the Kanto evolutions for us.

"Now, run along. I need to check in on the other squads." His forehead gem gleamed, and he vanished.

By the time I got back to my room, Storm had already left. I was glad; I was too tired to entertain any more guests for the time being. I found a pecha, curled up in my bed and nibbled on it for a while before falling asleep.

* * *

Ugh i hate this chapter...Ill try to do better later, please, please excuse any errors... T.T

Love, Narutochica


	5. Plans

**Plans**

Disclaimer:I do not own pokemon

I treaded the water lazily, flicking my tail every once in a while to swerve past the thick water plants scattered throughout the lake. Like all the other eevee in my tribe, I was raised close to the water and felt a deep affinity to it. I do not know how most other Eon clans and tribes go about things, but kits of New Forest tribe are born knowing what they would someday evolve into. It was no different for me; the moment my paws first touched water I knew becoming a vaporeon was my destiny. The weightlessness of water astounded me; with one paw stroke I could glide several tail-meters with little energy spent.

I rolled onto my back and, using my tail as a rudder, swam with my muzzle pointed towards the afternoon sky. The fur on my tail had been cut short, leaving it smooth and tapering like a floatzel's. I'd long realized my bushy tail fur kept weighing me down in the water, and frequently enlisted the help of a Clan Scyther to keep it clipped. Other eevees that desired to become vaporeons clipped their tail fur as well, to aid in swimming and make the transition to a shorter pelt of fur easier. Training for evolution was a serious matter among New Forest Tribe members. Potential jolteons were usually the fastest and had the longest endurance, while potential flareons and vaporeons frequently practiced strengthening and breathing exercises for attacks like water gun and flamethrower. Those that wanted to become leafeons were trained in the use of medicinal herbs and tree climbing. Unlike the Ice Rock, the Moss Rock could be found in New Forest as well.

The few that aimed to become glaceons trained only for the journey they would have to undertake to reach the ice stone in Snowpoint Forest, which was only accessible by climbing over a mountain. Umbreons and Espeons were very rare, but they occurred mostly within mated eevee pairs. Respect was a given for any that managed to evolve into one of those three rare evolutions.

I yawned luxuriously and seized a floating Pamtre berry that was bobbing alongside me, biting into my prize with an eager fervor. I usually ate fish, which kept my fur slick and water resistant, but I wasn't above the occasional berry. I was half done when I realized that Onyx might not have eaten since we arrived back at the clan this morning. I mulled over possibly saving the other half of the berry for her, but quickly banished the thought. Onyx was an independent female. She would feel insulted if I brought her food even after we were back in the clan. Besides, I had once overheard her telling the mate of a Clan fighter that she was five years old, a whole two years older than me. Eons have long lifespans, so two years wasn't much of a big deal, but it was common knowledge that females of most species prefer older, more experienced males. I huffed under my breath as I bit savagely into the berry's soft skin as if it were prey. Even if I wanted her, there was no way Onyx would ever notice me.

I polished off the berry on land and licked my chest fur clean of any juice that had dropped on it. Water shed from my sleek pelt as I headed through the long grasses towards my sleeping den. Like many of the other Clan members, I preferred to live a wild life when I wasn't on duty. The sky darkened rapidly, and the insects of the night chirped from hidden perches all around me.

I stopped a few tail-meters from the entrance and sniffed the air for any unwelcome occupants. Once I was satisfied I was the only pokemon in the area, I crawled inside. The den was large and spacious, big enough for two eevees to sleep in comfortably. I gathered up the old bedding and pushed it out the entrance, then raked together a pile of rushes and arranged it comfortably on the spot where I slept.

I lay there with my tail curled comfortably around me, the heat from my own body warming the entire den. Maybe, sometime in the future I'd share this den with another, but for now I enjoyed the complete solitude.

"Storm! Get up you lazypaws!" I opened my eyes wearily to see the muzzle of a younger male eevee poking into my den.

I groaned and flicked a pebble at him, narrowly missing his nose. "Hey! Heyyy!" His muzzle disappeared from sight as he tumbled backward. He was sitting there rubbing the back of his head when I came out. It was early in the morning, but the sun still shone bright enough to hurt my sleep-weakened eyes.

"I don't see any Team Galactic members around, or forest fires, or the sky falling, so you'd better have a good reason to wake me, Lilypad!" I growled grumpily.

"It's awesome!"The half-grown eevee sprang to his paws excitedly. "Leader's giving a demonstration about our evolutions!"

My ears pricked. Leader wasn't one to offer demonstrations; he was reclusive, barely showing his face each morning before going off on his daily business. "But why would he do that?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

Lilypad tipped his head to one side. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "But he said he wanted to give us all a push."

Now it was my turned to look confused. "A _push?_" A push towards what, though?

"That's what he told me. He's waiting for you right now, so come on!" The eevee was practically bouncing on his toes.

"He's waiting for _me?_" I couldn't help but chuckle. "I had no idea he even knew my name!"

"Yeah! He said he's been watching you for a long time, and likes what he sees." He shrugged.

Leader liked what he saw? I felt a prickle of curiosity. Just what was leader up to? Was I an important part of it, or was I just flattering myself? Sitting here mulling it over wasn't going to get me the answers I needed, that was for sure.

I pushed my front legs forward and stretched, then gave myself a brisk shake. "Let's go then."

Lilypad walked by my side as we headed down the slightly worn path that led to the Clan grounds. "Leader said he would start soon...he's still answering questions at the moment so we didn't miss anything," the young eevee said excitedly, his cream-tipped tail lashing eagerly.

"Hn," I replied, hiding my interest with short answers. Lilypad was one of the few eevees in the Clan I tolerated. He was currently the youngest eevee in the Clan at one year old, having been found abandoned in the middle of the forest and taken in by a mated Nidorina. Even though his trainer had neglected to take care of him properly, he insisted on wearing his collar, and preferred to sleep within the compound's walls. Without the Clan to guide him, Lilypad would have had a difficult time adjusting to the life of a wild pokemon. He was the typical brown-and-cream of most eevee, but his right hindpaw was a lighter shade of tan, and his lower back was peppered with white spots.

We reached the Clan compound in no time, taking a shortcut through the many forest paths. We ran at an easy lope, saving both time and energy. By the time we got to the courtyard I quickly realized we were the last eevees there. The rest of the Clan eevees were clustered in a circle around Leader, who was patiently answering questions.

"Ah! There you are," Leader welcomed us as we found a place to sit. Luckily, an old eevee named Barb had saved a space for the two of us and we sat down to watch.

I couldn't help but glance around to see if Onyx was present. I finally found her crouched between two smaller male eevees, looking rather annoyed as she glared at leader. Sitting a few feet away from her was Rend, who was watching her miserably. I caught his eye, and he flattened his ears in response. I lifted my lip slightly to show my canines, then looked pointedly away from him.

"Leader, can you help me?" One of the younger eevees asked.

Leader, who had currently taken the form of a dark-furred eevee, regarded him kindly. "What can I do for you?" It was then that I noticed that he was identical to Onyx herself, right down to having the same auburn pelt. Several other eevees had caught on and were darting confused glances at the irate female eevee and the Clan Leader, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. I stifled a laugh; no wonder she looked pissed!

"I want to become a jolteon," the eevee confessed. "But I'm not really fast...I know my speed would go up if I became jolteon, but I would still end up being a slower jolteon than most. And jolteons are _supposed _to be able to run really fast." To me, evolving into jolteon would be a nightmare; electricity and water do not mix.

"No pokemon is _supposed _to be anything," Leader said firmly. "While it is true that jolteons are typically fast, there are other attributes jolteons need to be able to utilize that don't include speed. It depends on _how _you use your new form."

The eevee looked thoughtful. "You're right," he declared, looking a little less troubled. "Thank you."

"Any more questions, before I get to the main point of this meeting?" Everyone shook their heads, though I noticed a few of them looking hesitant, as if they were too shy to speak in front of everyone.

"Good, and I will be happy to talk privately to anyone after I'm done. Now..." His voice took on a more serious note. "I realize that over the years, the Clan has acquired an unusually large amount of eevees as members. While I have no problem with this, it has come to my attention that some of you are not content with your current lifestyles or situations. That you may be missing the closeness and comfort of a real Eon clan or tribe. Am I not correct?"

Several eevees nodded in agreement. I sensed a growing amount of anticipation and excitement from everyone around me. Leader must have sensed it too, and he continued.

" There is a reason why this meeting has been focused on your potential evolutions. Therefore, I have arranged for a parcel of evolutionary stones to be sent here within the next few weeks."

"What?" I gasped.

Other eevees around me reacted the same way;some with excitement, others with plain bewilderment. Immediately an outpour of earnest conversation began as everyone turned to their neighbors and started discussing Leader's latest news as if it were gossip. I sat there, stunned, letting the ensuing wave of excited chatter wash over me. I felt strangely apprehensive, and a little fearful. It was my dream to evolve into vaporeon, to gain the ability breathe underwater and even merge with water itself. But, what if I wasn't ready yet? The New Forest tribe had elders that determined whether or not a member was worthy of evolving; no one within the Clan held that authority in the eyes of the tribe, and if I returned as a vaporeon, the elders would take it as insult and lay down a punishment.

I shivered; punishments could range from being shunned by the Tribe to banishment. Even though I had spent the last year and a half training away from New Forest, I had not yet carved out a satisfying life with the Clan. New Forest was my home; I had no other. Sighing in disappointment at not being able to evolve as soon as I wanted, I turned away from the celebrating eevees and was about to walk away when Leader spoke once more.

"There is still more that we need to discuss." Leader had only to open his mouth for everyone to fall silent. "As most of us know, the last Eon clan in Eterna Forest was wiped out by plague four years ago...in fact, some of you were a part of that clan." He inclined his head respectfully towards Barb, the old eevee. "I believe that you all have the numbers to establish a new colony here in the forest."

There was a chorus of excited howls, and Lilypad leapt to his paws, eyes shining as he yipped along with everyone else. It struck me that Leader had hit upon the one thing every eevee here was missing; a true sense of order and value that could be found only in a clan of eons. I noticed that Onyx did not look the least bit surprised at any of Leader's latest news. I began to wonder if she already knew...

"But who will be the clan Head?" I craned my neck to see Rend stand up as he addressed the Leader.

"That is for you all to decide," Leader replied. "But strength is not the only thing one should look for in a leader. Intelligence and fairness are also important qualities." He casually shifted into his Espeon form and fixed the crowd with a penetrating gaze, his tail swaying from side to side like an arbok charming a rattata into it's mouth. "I want you all to consider my idea. And yes, if any of you still wish to stay a part of the Sinnoh Rescue Clan, you may do so."

"Must this new Eterna clan swear allegiance to the Rescue Clan of Sinnoh?" An eevee around my age asked.

"No," said Leader. "This will be a new, independent clan. Anyone who joins it is still welcome to come back here any time they like...although it is my wish to unite all the major pokemon groups within Eterna, if not all of Sinnoh."

I considered this new piece of information. Living here in a real clan did not sound so bad, but what did the new clan have to offer me? And, even if a new eon clan was established in Eterna, there was still a slight problem. Before I could ask, Rend beat me to the punch.

"That sounds all nice and lovely when you say it like that, but in case you haven't noticed, there is a considerable lack of female eevees present." He pointed this out while darting obvious glances at Onyx. "Which means no new generation to take over the clan in the future."

"If you're so worried about the lack of females, why not look for mates within species like vulpix or growlithe?" Onyx said, looking around.

"If the sire is an eevee, then most of those matings would result in more vulpixes or growlithes," Barb said awkwardly, as if reluctant to side against her. Onyx narrowed her eyes and suddenly twisted her neck to lick at the fur on her shoulder with rough, angered strokes.

"You bring up a valid point," Leader conceded. "But right now, establishing order and marking clan territory is of more importance."

As the others began pelting Leader with more questions, Lilypad nudged me. "You know what?"

"What?" I asked, half-listening to him as I angled an ear towards Leader's assembly.

"I think you would make a great clan leader!" He squirmed excitedly, not noticing the looks of alarm some of the nearby eevees flashed us. I stared at him with wide eyes.

Honestly, the thought had never occured to me, but the way Lilypad said it sounded very appealing. I was confident in my strength, at least against the other eevees, but what would be waiting for me once I became a leader? Was I really prepared to have the lives of many others shoved into my paws, to do with as I wished? I glanced at Onyx, who sat several tail-meters away, looking lost in her own thoughts. What would she think of me then?

* * *

Shorter chapter this time, I had a brief spurt of inspiration so I had to write as quickly as I could. I decided to write a bit about each character, just to get everyone caught up with who's who and what's what.

Onyx-Darker brown, almost auburn small female eevee. Lost her clan in a plague and was at one time owned by a rich old woman. Was abandoned at the Clan compound by her mate, Axel, while she was pregnant with their first kit. Has not decided on an evolution.

Storm-Golden brown male eevee, with slender limbs and a sleek, lean body. Is currently spending his training mission as a Clan member. Has little interest in females and desires to become a vaporeon.

Leader-The Leader of the Sinnoh Rescue League, and owner of the Clan building. A talented ditto able to transform in ways other ditto can't. Grew up as a stud in the home of a pokemon breeder until it ran away with a female vaporeon it fell in love with.

Rend- Lighter brown male eevee with darker brown spots along his back.

Barb- Older, graying male eevee who lost his mate in the same plague that took Onyx's family.

Lilypad- Youngest eevee in the Clan, and trains alongside Storm in becoming a member of the Sinnoh Rescue League. Arguably the most mischievous pokemon in the Clan, frequently playing pranks on everyone, including Leader himself! Typical brown-and cream fur pattern with a lighter left hindpaw and several white spots near the base of his tail. Sometimes mistaken as female.(And currently my favorite character)

I might need a new name for the clan; something that fits nice. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them


	6. Down Time

**Down Time**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Pokemon franchise, but I do own the characters and their situations.

One of my greatest pleasures in living within the Sinnoh Rescue League's Clan building was being able to help the nursing females with their young. I was slowly beginning to gain the acceptance of most of the mated females, and was now trusted to play with and even babysit their infants while they took a long earned rest.

At the moment I was currently being stalked by a trio of glameow kittens, their little tails curling in pleasure as they tried to bat at my long ears. Their mother, a kindhearted Purugly lay on her side several lengths away, an ear cocked in our direction as she napped.

"Hmm...too slow, Marbles!" I smirked, raising my head high and barely avoid his little claws.

"No fair!" The tiny glameow protested.

I laughed and crouched down, allowing them to clamber on my back for a ride around the play area.

"Mommy! Look at us!" One of the female glameow kits squeaked.

The Purugly opened one elegant eye. "That's very nice, sweetheart." She sighed and stretched luxuriously, then curled up and went back to sleep.

"Who here is hungry?" I smiled, having heard a little stomach growling. The last kit, a small female skitty, blushed.

"Can we have some berries? Mom says we don't need to drink milk anymore," she piped up.

"All right then. Hold on, I'm going to speed up a bit," I trotted at a faster clip, and soon reached a corner where fresh fruits had been set aside for use by the females and their offspring. The kittens settled down to share a Bluk berry while I chose to eat a Pecha.

The past few days were relaxing and uneventful. I decided to take Leader's decision to heart and make the most of my leave. I spent most of my time in the nursery helping to take care of the youngsters, and I absolutely enjoyed it. I still felt a bit reserved about looking to Storm for company. Despite our mutual respect for one another, I still held out hope that my Axel would one day come back.

The way his beautiful red eyes would gaze into my own...

I closed my eyes momentarily, imagining just for a second that we were curled up together in our own den. Just the two of us, and our kits when they arrived.

"And what do we have here?" A wry voice sounded a few feet away.

Opening my eyes, I saw a big male delcatty pad up to the three kittens, his hopeless expression comical as he stared at the purple juice stains ringing their maws. I groaned; of all times to forget that bluk berries stain very easily!

"It's my fault,"I said, lowering my tail in apology. "I should have given them something less...messy."

The Delcatty purred in amusement. "Speak nothing of it. They're kittens after all. And I do thank you for watching the little ones." He gazed fondly at his mate, who was still asleep. "I suppose I should go to her now. She's been very tired lately."

"Bye Onyx!" The kittens piped up as they followed their father away.

I waved my tail and watched for a few seconds longer, as the Delcatty settled by the Purugly's side and nuzzled her lovingly. The kittens scampered in front of them, completing the portrait of a typical happy family.

The scene was too much to bear; I turned and left the play area, letting my paws carry me until I reached one of the many training rooms the Clan building had to offer. It was empty.

The rubbery floor padding felt comfortable under my paws. I smiled, shoving all thoughts of the feline family aside. I may not have a present mate or kits, but thanks to Axel I was still a fighter. With that thought in mind I headed towards one of the special punching bags we trained with. I called it the Axis Bag.

The bag was set up so that if it was struck on one side, the other side would pivot on its axis and hit whomever was using it from a different angle. It was used mainly for reflex training-the harder you hit it, the faster AND harder it would swing round and hit back. It also worked so that if one side was struck from, say, above, the other side would hit from below.

Avoiding the return stroke was a bit tricky though-sometimes it swung too hard to dodge, and a lot of the time, if one tried to block it, the other side would pivot and hit back just as hard.

I crouched, getting into position, then spun on a hind paw and lashed out at the bag with the other. My paw connected with an audible thump, and the other side spun around, rapidly heading towards my head.

I gathered power to my paws and met the padded bag head on, Headbutting it before it could make contact.

I spun and blocked the backstroke with my paw, followed it up light, quick swipes. Lighter hits did not make much damage, but when done quickly and accurately, the damage could easily add up.

Minutes passed; I was getting so into it, I even used Iron Tail a few times for some variation. I loved training this way; it was perfect for situations in which I might find myself fighting a horde of enemies surrounding me.

The key was to build up enough endurance so as to keep fighting for as long as possible, and strength, to make each hit hard so I wouldn't have to fight each enemy too long. Axel was a fighting enthusiast; during the time we traveled together, I saw him utilize these very same techniques successfully on numerous occasions.

Eventually I stopped, laying down with my head on my paws and panting. Exhausted, but feeling accomplished.

"Your balance needs work, but not bad. For a first evolution." A gruff voice mewed behind me.

I stood and faced him warily. "What do you want, Lars?"

He curled his lip, baring long, white teeth. "Speak to me in that tone again and see what happens."

I sighed, forced my spiking fur to go flat. "I'm sorry."

Ignoring my apology, he continued in a softer tone:

"I hope you seriously considered what Leader was saying the other day. About the evolution stones."

"You want me to evolve as soon as possible," I pinned my ears back and shot him a surly glance. "Is that what this is about?"

"Smart woman." The luxio rumbled. "I just had an interesting conversation with Starks, and some of the other pokemon assigned under me."

"Is that so?" I said politely, though wary nonetheless.

"Starks senses that he is close to evolving again. Same with Flint, and Marsha." A Vigoroth and Marshtomp, respectively.

"And your point is?"

Lars sneered. "_I _will be evolving soon. I have held back my own evolution for a dozen levels now. After the next mission, I will return a Luxray."

I held back the urge to claw the arrogant grin off his face. "C-congratulations," I muttered.

"Yes. The other three may be evolving soon, meaning you will be left behind. And we don't want that, do we?"

"Who said I wanted to evolve in the first place?" I shot back angrily.

He sneered. "Don't give me that. I overheard you and Leader talking about the stones after our meeting. So tell me, which stone were you planning to choose?"

"I...I haven't decided yet. I wanted to wait a bit longer."

"Keep using that excuse and you'll still be in that puny body when we're old and toothless," Lars grimaced. "Well, make your choice soon. We don't have room in our team for someone who insists on holding us back."

My jaw dropped. "I never did anything of the sort."'

"Oh yeah? Well prove it. Enjoy your vacation," he tossed over his shoulder as he left.

I sat there, stunned. Was I really holding my team back? Did they really think this of me? Was I really so immersed in self pity because of my situation, that I was neglecting my duties?

"Lars, wait!"

"Hm?" he looked back at me.

"I want to go on the mission too. To take back the growlithe eggs." His eyes flashed, and I wondered briefly, irrationally, if I was landing myself in some kind of trap.

"And what brought about this change of mind?" He said, in a silky tone.

"Nothing in particular. I think it's time I saw the rest of the team again," I replied just as smoothly.

"That's what I like to hear."

* * *

"So this is Sinnoh. It's so..._huge!_" My companion exclaimed excitedly. I rolled my eyes, padding ahead of the annoying female vulpix. She noticed I had gone off and ran quicky to catch up.

"Hey, Axel! Are you going to tell us what we're doing here now? You haven't mentioned anything about the assignment since we left headquarters!" she whined plaintively.

"I have some unfinished business," I growled, irritated that of all the possible females that would latch on to me, _this _one had managed to linger around the longest. "And cut it out with the whole 'innocent' act, it's annoying."

"Oh, cut me some slack," she purred, stroking my side with her tails.

I rolled my eyes and kept moving. Truth was, I'd have knocked her out and left her behind a long time ago. But her unusual golden fur was intriguing, and so was her character. She trotted faster and bumped against me, nipping the base of my ear teasingly with her teeth.

I shook her off. "Not right now."

"Aww but we haven't played in a long time." She pouted. "You need to cut loose and have fun sometimes, Axel. You act like a grumpy old man."

"And you, Alumina, act like an overgrown kit."

She stuck her tongue out at me. I pretended not to notice.

In truth, I was very pleased that her flirtations were directed towards me. I'd toyed with the idea of taking her as a partner on more than one occasion. Her fur color would have looked stunning on my kits. Speaking of kits...

I frowned, thinking of the unborn kit I had left behind. He would have been around a year and three or four months old by now, if I recalled correctly. Just in case, I took along a pack of the finest pokeblocks and rare candies-he(or she!) was still young enough to have a fondness for treats. There was still the issue of his mother, though. No doubt she'd hold some kind of anger over the way he'd left and subsequently cut off communication. Knowing her, it would be a long time before she forgave me again.

It was worth the wait. She was shaping up really well the last time I saw her. Hopefully she taught our kit a thing or two while I was gone as well. And if she finally _evolved..._ I curled my tail, thinking of how stunning she would look as, say, a flareon or a leafeon. _Or an espeon..._

The image THAT brought on was so satisfying I almost purred out loud. A mated pair of an espeon and umbreon would look good as a set. _Very _good. I trotted a little faster, eager to get back to my mate. If she hadn't evolved yet, I would try my damnedest to make sure she became that espeon.

"Wait up!" The vulpix huffed, trying to catch up on much shorter legs. "Are you trying to lose me?" She half snarled, looking genuinely hurt.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Lulu." I licked her cheek and walked ahead, knowing I'd caught her off guard with that one. We traveled a little longer through the dense bush, the vulpix much quieter. I sensed a glow of satisfaction about her now. Such a simple female.

She had been quick to assume we were in Sinnoh. While we technically were, we were in an area known as the Battle Zone. We still needed to hitch a ride to Sunyshore, and continue journeying from there.

We took a break after an hour or so of walking downhill. I unbuckled my harness bag and let it fall to the ground, shaking out the flattened fur and smoothing it down. Alumina did the same with hers. It always escaped me, why she felt the need to fill her bag with _brushes _and _shampoo_ and other human care products. They weighed her down unnecessarily.

Finally free to run without hindrance, I padded into the undergrowth. Eventually my ears picked up a small, rapid heartbeat. I put on a burst of speed and ran down the unfortunate rattata.

I carried the prey back to our resting place, where Alumina was already munching a wepear berry. She wrinkled her nose in slight distaste at the sight of my catch, but knew better than to say anything.

We had a lot of ground to cover tomorrow. Hopefully, in two or three days, we would be able to catch a ferry to Sunyshore, where I had to meet up with an operative from work. Then, across the mountains and onward to Eterna...

I took a large bite of my prey, savoring the taste of flesh. It was good to be out in the field again.

* * *

Trying to shell out as many updates to my stories as possible. I'm afraid to touch the Naruto ones, but I'll have to eventually. I may be changing my name in a month or so, after I get re-established here. I apologize for any errors.

Please **R** &** R** !


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